Well-packing construction.



F. J. STUMPF.

WELL PACKING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FlLED FEB. 26. 1918.

1 ,286, 14:1 Patented N 0v. 26, 1918.

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- .Illll v IM "414 H 18/ I 7 A24 III-n ATTORNEY.

UNITED sr'rns PATENT orrrcn.

FRANK J'. STUMPF, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 RICHARD T.

- -CONNELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

WELL-PACKING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters LPatent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Application filed February 26, 1918. Serial No. 219,299.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK J. STUMPF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson, State of Missouri, having invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Well-Packing Construction, of which the following is a full and exact specification.

This invention relates generally to well cleanin apparatus, and one of the objects of the lnvention is to provide an improved means for packing the space between the pump tubing and the sides of the well or Well lining above the steam jet outlets.

It is a further object to provide in this connection a packing construction having means whereby the packing is automatically expanded into engagement with the sides of the well or well lining as the pump tubing reaches the vicinity of the bottom of the well.

It is also sought to devise a simple and efficient construction of the character described, and of a type which will be economical in its operation and inexpensive in the necessary details for applying the same to the pumping apparatus.

With these general objects in view, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one form of construction and arrangement for embodying the improvements in a well on the lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of

Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, this shows a sectional casing 6 forming the liner of a well, such as is commonly used in oil wells for which the present improvements are particularly designed, the sections of which casing are connected together by means of couplings 8 and the lowermost section is formed with the usual series of strainer openings 10. Inside the casing 6 is is Eositioned a steam line 16 having its lower en fitted with a nozzle attachment 18, which is secured in place by means of a coupling 20, said nozzle extending below the end of the tubing 12, when the latter is in position, for the purpose of ejectin the steam all around the bottom of the we 1 below the tubing. The lower end portion of the steam line 16 is further provided with a series of radial jet tubes 22 extending out through the tub ing 12 and having flattened nozzle tips communicating with the exterior face of said tubing as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Packing means is provided for sealin the space between the casing 6 and pump tu ing 12 above the steam jets, and this means comprises two packing members carried in different longitudinal positions by the pump tubing and having the followinv construction. A fixed collar 24 is secured to the exterior face of the pump tubing 12, and this collar serves to secure the upper ends of a series of spring elements 26, the lower ends of which are secured to a collar 28 mounted slidingly on the outer face of the tubing 12. To the collar 28 are also secured theupper ends of a series of spring elements 30 having their lower ends secured to a second sliding collar 32. Relative approaching movement of the several collars 24, 28 and 32 will obviously efi'ect outward movement of said spring elements 26 and 30 away from the tubing 12 into bowed position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, whereby a flexible sleeve covering 84, surroundin said spring elements and tightly secure( to said collars by means of clamping bands 36, is expanded into engagement with the interior of the casing 6. The sleeve 34 is of any suitable flexible material adapted to pack the space between the tubing and easing, such as a rubber-treated canvas which will not be readily affected by the materials with which series of rods 38 connected to the lower sliding collar 32 and having the lower ends of sald rods secured to a foot-piece 40 at a slight distance below the nozzle attachment 18. The arrangement is such that so long as the foot-piece 5L0 is suspended free of engagement w1th the bottom of the well, its

weight, together with that of the sliding collars, will hold the packing members collapsed or contracted substantially flatagainst the sides of the pump tubing; but when lowered into the position shown by the drawing, with the foot-piece stopped against further movement by the bottom of the well, the slight further movement of the pump tubing after the foot-piece has come to rest effects relative approaching movement of the collars 24, 28 and 32as will be obvious, thereby causing the outward bowing of the spring elements 26 and 30, and the consequent expanding of the packing sleeve 34, and thus tightly packing the space above the steam jets.

In the cleaning operation, after the packing construction has been actuated in the manner described, steam is forced under high pressure down though the steam line 16 and the steam issues in forcible jets through the nozzle 18 and jet tubes 22; the

action of the steam soon boils all the con-' tents of the bottom of the well and at the same time produces a violent turbulent motion or agitation of said contents, so that the caked deposits are loosened up and the openings or perforations 10 and 14 freed of all obstructions.v The space between the pump tubing and the casing 6 being sealed by the packing members, the oil and the material carried along with it are driven under the force of the steam up through the pump tubing 12 and may be carried off by an outlet pipe 42 into any suitable receptacle (not shown). The object of having a series of packing members is to insure greater effectiveness as well as certainty in the packing operation; if one of the packing members should com opposite a defective or gaping joint in the casing 6, or if there should occur an uneveness in the casing or if the easing should be split or otherwise defective at a certain point, so that this packing member would not function properly, the other packing member may nevertheless be depended upon to provide an effective seal between the casing and pump tubing.

It will thus be-apparent that a simple, compact and efficient arrangement and construction have been devised for carrying out ments adapted, on relative approaching movement of said col1ars,.t0 bow outwardly away from said tubing, a flexible packing element surrounding said spring elements, and means connected with said sliding collar and actuated by engagement with the bottom of the well, on lowering of said tubing, to expand said packing means.

2. Well packing apparatus comprising, in combination with the pump tubing, packing means comprising a series of, expansible packing members carried by said tubing and connected together in different longitudinal positions along said tubing, and means con necting with the lower of said packing members and actuated by the lowering of said tubing to simultaneously expand said packing members, said lower packing member serving to transmit the action of said expanding means to the next upper packing member connected thereto.

3. Well packing apparatus comprising, in combination with the pump tubing, packing means comprising a fixed collar carried by said tubing, a pair of collars slidingly mounted on said tubing below said fixed collar and connected to each other and to said fixed collar by a series of spring elements adapted, on relative approaching movement of said collars, to bow outwardly away from said tubing, a flexible packing element con nected to said collars and surrounding said spring elements, and means connected with the lower of said sliding collars and actuated by engagement with the bottom of the well,

' on lowering of said tubing, to expand said packing means.

In witness whereof I have hereto afiixed my signature.

FRANK J. STUMPF. 

